Friday Morning Coffee: At halfway point in second, Corbett looks back and ahead.

Good Friday Morning, Fellow Seekers.Gov. Tom Corbett sat down with Capitol reporters on Thursday for a
series of round-robin interviews. And because different reporters ask different questions, each session yielded some slightly different results.

True, some overarching themes emerged: Pensions, as if you needed any reminder, remain a huge problem. The administration still doesn't think the state should be in the booze business. And Corbett intends to do a so-far-undisclosed something about transportation funding.

For your reading pleasure, here's a quick-hit digest of The Guv's conversations with our fellow ink- and pixel-stained wretches.

No Second Acts?
Two outgoing state House Democrats - Rep. Joe Brennan, D-Northampton, and Ken Smith, D-Lackawanna, have both been hired by the House Democratic Caucus, Capitolwire reports this morning.

Brennan, who dropped out of his re-election bid amid charges of domestic violence and drunk driving, will be a research analyst in the Legislative Policy and Research Office, where he'll be paid $72,000 a year, House Democratic spokesman Bill Patton tells Capitolwire.

Smith who was dogged by tax issues with his family-owned restaurant in south Scranton, will join the Office of Member Services, Patton said. Both outgoing lawmakers start their new jobs on Dec. 3 -- just days after their legislative terms end on Nov. 30.

Smith will also be paid $72,000 per year.
That's a decrease from their current legislative salary of $82,026. But they'll continue to receive the same healthcare benefits and will continue to pay into their taxpayer-funded pensions.

With seven former lawmakers....
... now serving state or federal time -- and one more likely set to join them -- Pennsylvania is about to set a record for imprisoned officials, the Tribune-Review reports this morning.
Former Senate Minority Leader Bob Mellow of Lackawanna County is set to be sentenced today on a single count of mail fraud. Prosecutors are seeking a two-year sentence.

You Say It's Your Birthday Dept.
Best wishes go out this morning to reader Dawn Reese of Millersburg, Pa. Congratulations.

On The Capitol Ideas iPod This Morning.
Another Friday brings with it another Friday Playlist. Regular readers know the drill. Set your personal music listening devices to shuffle and post the first 10 results in the comments. As always, we'll go first.